Compressible liquid containment berm assembly

ABSTRACT

A compressible liquid retaining berm having a plurality of wall members, the wall members composed of a compressible, resilient material such that the wall members will rebound to a neutral state after being compressed. A longitudinal slot is disposed in the top wall of the wall members and extends the length of the wall member, and a transverse slot is disposed in the top wall adjacent each end of the wall member, preferably perpendicular to the longitudinal slot. A liquid impermeable liner member is disposed on the interior side of the wall members, the liner member extending across the wall members. The liner member is secured to the wall members by positioning elongated anchor members atop the liner member in alignment with the longitudinal slots, such that the weight of the anchor members results in the anchor members being received within the longitudinal slots. At right angle junctions of abutting wall members, the anchor member extends beyond the end of the longitudinal slot of one wall member and across the transverse slot of the adjoining wall member.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.62/117,166, filed Feb. 17, 2105.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of berms, walls, dykes,pools and the like used to retain liquid or to prevent unwanted movementof liquid, particularly in situations where the liquid is a hazardousliquid accidentally released, leaked or spilled. More particularly, itrelates to such devices wherein the berms are constructed such that avehicle may be driven over the berm, and even more particularly, whereinthe berm is compressible.

In many situations it is desirable to have a secondary means forretaining, containing, diverting or directing liquid in conjunction witha liquid container means, such as a drum, tank, pipeline, piece ofmachinery, electrical transformer, tanker truck or the like, especiallywhen the liquid is a hazardous liquid that may pollute or harm theenvironment. It is also desirable to have primary means for retaining,containing, diverting or directing liquid that needs to be controlledfor protection of the environment, re-use or other purposes, such as forexample retention of wash water when motor vehicles are cleaned, orcapture of spilled liquid during tanker truck loading operations. Manypre-manufactured containment devices, such as permanent walls, flexiblepools, polymer berms, are known and used for these purposes.

It is an object of this invention to provide a containment berm that iseasily and rapidly deployed and assembled on site and which may becomposed of modular components making transport and storage easier. Itis a further object to provide a containment berm that has compressibleperimeter components, such that vehicles may be driven into and out ofthe containment berm as required without damaging the retentionproperties of the berm. It is a further object to provide a containmentberm that may be assembled and disassembled in a relativelyuncomplicated manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As shown in various embodiments, such embodiments meant to benon-limiting with regard to the scope of the invention, the compressibleliquid retaining berm comprises in general a plurality of wall members,the wall members composed of a compressible, resilient material suchthat the wall members will rebound to a neutral state after beingcompressed, such as by having a vehicle drive over them. Preferably, thewall members are comprised of a foam body with an elastomeric outercoating and have a generally trapezoidal shape, the top wall beingnarrower than the base, although other configurations are possible.Preferably a fabric, mesh or scrim member is positioned on the foam bodyprior to application of the elastomeric outer coating. Vent openings maybe provided in the elastomeric coating to provide for egress and ingressof air when the foam body is compressed and then released to expand. Alongitudinal slot is disposed in the top wall and extends the length ofthe wall member, and a transverse slot is disposed in the top walladjacent each end of the wall member, preferably perpendicular to thelongitudinal slot. A liquid impermeable liner member is disposed on theinterior side of the wall members to form a floor or bottom, the linermember extending across the wall members. The liner member is secured tothe wall members by positioning elongated anchor members atop the linermember in alignment with the longitudinal slots, such that the weight ofthe anchor members results in the anchor members forcing the linermember into the longitudinal slots. At right angle junctions of abuttingwall members, the anchor member extends beyond the end of thelongitudinal slot of one wall member and across the transverse slot ofthe adjoining wall member.

In alternative language, the invention is a compressible liquidcontainment berm assembly comprising a plurality of compressible,resilient wall members each comprising a polymer foam body with alongitudinal slot, said wall members arranged to form a perimeter; aliquid impermeable liner member extending between and onto said wallmembers; and elongated anchor members positioned on top of said linermember and within said longitudinal slots, whereby said liner member issecured within said longitudinal slots by said anchor members. Theinvention may further comprise the assembly with each of said wallmembers further comprising an elastomeric liquid impermeable coatinglayer adhered to said foam body; each of said wall members furthercomprising a reinforcing layer positioned between said foam body andsaid elastomeric outer coating layer; wherein said anchor members arechosen from the group of anchor members consisting of metal rods, metalpipes, polymer pipes, cables and wires; wherein said reinforcing layeris chosen from the group of reinforcing layers consisting of fabric,mesh or scrim; each of said wall members further comprising transverseslots adapted to receive said anchor members; further comprising ventingmembers positioned in said elastomeric coating layer; wherein each saidwall member comprises a base, side walls and top wall, wherein said baseis wider than said top wall, and wherein said longitudinal slot isdisposed in said top wall; wherein one said anchor member disposed insaid longitudinal slot of one said wall member and in said transverseslot of an adjoining said wall member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view showing two wall members abutted at a right angle.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a wall member taken along Line 2-2of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a wall member taken along Line 3-3of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the abutting wall members ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a partial view of an embodiment of a containment berm showingthe liner member and anchor members assembled atop the wall members.

FIG. 6 is a top view of an alternative embodiment for an anchor member.

FIG. 7 is partial top view showing a wall member with supplemental rampmembers.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along Line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a partial top view showing a wall member with multipletransverse slots.

FIG. 10 is a partial side view showing the anchor member as comprising acable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, the drawings illustratingnon-limiting embodiments of the invention, the invention will bedescribed in detail. As shown in the various embodiments, thecompressible liquid retaining berm 10 comprises in general a pluralityof wall members 13, the wall members 13 being composed of acompressible, resilient material such that the wall members 13 willrebound to their original state after being compressed, such as byhaving a vehicle drive over them. The wall members 13 are comprised ofthe combination of a foam body 11 and an elastomeric outer coating layer12. Polyurethane or polyethylene foams may be utilized as a suitablematerial of composition for the foam bodies 11, but other polymer foamsof similar characteristics are also acceptable. While closed cellpolymer foams may be utilized, open cell polymer foams are preferred dueto superior rebound characteristics. It has also been found that overtime closed cell foams, while having superior resistance to liquidintrusion than open cell foams, tend to degrade too rapidly whenvehicles are repeatedly driven across the wall members 13 and lose theirliquid impermeability.

The elastomeric outer coating layer 12 is a resilient, durable polymermaterial which increases the overall durability of the wall member 13,increases liquid impermeability and provides additional reboundcharacteristics to the wall member 13. An elastomeric coating materialsold by Marvel Industrial Coatings under the designation M392 has beenshown to be a suitable material of composition for the elastomeric outercoating 12. A coating of roughly 80 mil thickness has been found to besuitable. Coatings of greater or lesser thickness may be utilized.Preferably the coating 12 is sprayed on, but it is also possible toapply the coating 12 to the foam body 11 by brushing, rolling, dippingor any other suitable method. It is also possible to include reinforcingfibers in the elastomeric coating 12 to increase structural integrityand rebound characteristics. Various colors and textures may be chosenfor the elastomeric outer coating 13.

Most preferably a fabric, mesh or scrim material reinforcing layer 19 ispositioned on the foam body 11 prior to application of the elastomericouter coating 13, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The reinforcing layer 19comprises apertures that allow passage of the elastomeric outer coating13 through the reinforcing layer 19 so that the coating 13 bonds to thesurface of the foam body 11. The reinforcing layer 19 is composed of amaterial and structured such that it is flexible enough to withstand thestresses encountered from repeated compressions and expansions, and isprimarily important to increase the lifespan of the elastomeric outingcoating 13 by reducing cracking and tearing. The reinforcing layer 19may be laid onto or wrapped around the foam bodies 11, and may beproduced into the form of a tube or sleeve.

Because the wall members 13 are designed to allow for passage of heavyvehicles, in an alternative embodiment the elastomeric outer coating 13is provided with venting members 21 to allow air to be expelled when thefoam body 11 is compressed and drawn in when the foam body 11 expandsbacks after the vehicle weight is removed. While the venting members 21may comprise simple openings, this is not desirable as water will beable to contact the foam body 11. Preferably, the venting members 21comprise water impermeable valves, or alternatively, a liquidimpermeable but breathable fabric or similar material covering theopenings, as shown in FIG. 4.

The wall members 11 preferably have a generally trapezoidal shapecomprising a base 14, sloped side walls 15 and top wall 16, the top wall16 being narrower than the base 14. Other cross-sectional shapes may besuitable, such as for example an elliptical or curved configurationsimilar to roadway speed bumps. A longitudinal slot 17 is disposed inthe top wall 16 and extends the length of the wall member 13. The widthand depth of the slot 17 is determined by several factors, such as thethickness of the liner member 20 and/or the thickness of the anchormember 30, and preferably the edges are beveled or radiused. Generally,a deep slot 17 is desirable to minimize permanent bending of the anchormember 30 when vehicles are driven across the wall member 13.

In one embodiment, a transverse slot 18 is disposed in the top wall 16adjacent each end of the wall member 13, preferably perpendicular to thelongitudinal slot 17. In an alternative embodiment, non-perpendiculartransverse slots 18 may be provided, as shown in FIG. 9, such that thewall members 13 may be adjoined at non-perpendicular angles.

With the wall members 13 arranged in a closed or substantially closedperimeter, or in a perimeter with an opening when it is desired todirect liquid instead of retain liquid, a liquid impermeable linermember 20 is disposed within the interior side of the wall members 13 toform a bottom or floor, with the liner member 20 extending across topwall 16 of the wall members 13, and most preferably beyond the wallmembers 13 onto the external ground surface. The liner member 20 issecured to the wall members 13 by positioning elongated anchor members30 atop the liner member 20 in alignment with the longitudinal slots 17of the wall members 13, such that the weight of the anchor members 30results in the anchor members 30 pressing the liner member 20 down intothe longitudinal slots 17, with at least a portion of the anchor members30 being received within the longitudinal slots 17. Preferably thedimensions of the anchor members 30 and longitudinal slots 17 are chosensuch that the anchor member 30 wedges the liner member 20 into thelongitudinal slots 17. The anchors members 30 may comprise variousembodiments, such as for example metal rods or pipes, polymer pipesfilled with sand or other weighting material, double rods joinedtogether or the like. In an alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 10,the anchor members 30 may comprise a cable or wire 31 strung between twosecuring members 32, such as stakes or towers affixed to the groundsurface at either end of the wall member 13. Turnbuckles or othertensioning mechanisms may be utilized to tighten the cable or wire 31 soas to draw the liner member 20 into the longitudinal slots 17.

For linear sections of the containment berm 10, the anchor member 30 ispositioned to extend across the junction between adjoining wall members13. At right angle junctions of abutting wall members 13, an anchormember 30 extends beyond the end of the longitudinal slot 17 of one wallmember 13 and across the transverse slot 18 of the adjoining wall member13, as shown in FIG. 5.

The liner member 20 may be provided with a non-skid or anti-slipsurface, and may be manufactured as a disposable element whenconstructed of relatively less durable material. Liner members 20 may bechosen of various materials depending on the liquid to be encountered.As shown in FIG. 6, a right angle anchor member 30 may be provided foruse at right angle junctions of adjoining wall members 13.

The containment berm 10 as described is designed such that portions ofthe wall members 13 may be compressed under heavy load, such as bydriving a motor vehicle across the wall member 13. After the load isremoved, the resilient nature of the foam body 11 and the elastomericcoating 12 allows the wall member 13 to rebound to its neutral,non-compressed state. The modular nature of the containment berm 10allows individual wall members 13 to be replaced in the event the wallmember 13 is damaged or loses its rebounding ability and allows linermembers 20 to be replaced if damaged without needing to replace the wallmembers 13. To better preserve the wall members 13, supplemental rampmembers 40 may be provided on either side of the wall member 13, asshown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The ramp members 40 may be compressible or maybe more rigid than the wall members 13.

It is understood that equivalents or substitutions for certain elementsset forth above may be obvious to those of skill in the art, andtherefore the true scope and definition of the invention is to be as setforth in the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A compressible liquid containment berm assembly comprising:a plurality of compressible, resilient wall members each comprising apolymer foam body with a longitudinal slot and transverse slots, saidwall members arranged to form a perimeter; a liquid impermeable linermember extending between and onto said wall members; and elongatedanchor members positioned on top of said liner member and within saidlongitudinal slots and said transverse slots, whereby said liner memberis secured within said longitudinal slots and said transverse slots bysaid anchor members.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, each of said wallmembers further comprising an elastomeric liquid impermeable coatinglayer adhered to said foam body.
 3. The assembly of claim 2, each ofsaid wall members further comprising a reinforcing layer positionedbetween said foam body and said elastomeric outer coating layer.
 4. Theassembly of claim 1, wherein said anchor members are chosen from thegroup of anchor members consisting of metal rods, metal pipes, polymerpipes, cables and wires.
 5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said anchormembers are chosen from the group of anchor members consisting of metalrods, metal pipes, polymer pipes, cables and wires.
 6. The assembly ofclaim 3, wherein said anchor members are chosen from the group of anchormembers consisting of metal rods, metal pipes, polymer pipes, cables andwires.
 7. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said reinforcing layer ischosen from the group of reinforcing layers consisting of fabric, meshor scrim.
 8. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising venting memberspositioned in said elastomeric coating layer.
 9. The assembly of claim3, further comprising venting members positioned in said elastomericcoating layer.
 10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each said wallmember comprises a base, side walls and top wall, wherein said base iswider than said top wall, and wherein said longitudinal slot is disposedin said top wall.
 11. The assembly of claim 2, wherein each said wallmember comprises a base, side walls and top wall, wherein said base iswider than said top wall, and wherein said longitudinal slot is disposedin said top wall.
 12. The assembly of claim 3, wherein each said wallmember comprises a base, side walls and top wall, wherein said base iswider than said top wall, and wherein said longitudinal slot is disposedin said top wall.
 13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein one said anchormember is disposed in said longitudinal slot of one said wall member andin said transverse slot of an adjoining said wall member.